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Only 11% Of Mike Turner’s Votes Are Progressive, Only 3% Of John Boehner’s Votes Are Progressive

By Mike Bock, on October 22nd, 2008

A web-site called ProgressivePunch.org gives all members of congress a “progressive score” based on their voting record. For example, it calculates that Dennis Kucinich has a progressive score of 88.8, meaning that, according to Progressive Punch’s calculation, 88.8% of Kucinich’s votes are progressive.

Progressive Punch has collected data from 1991 to the present. It follows 17 categories of votes. This is a big job. In 2007, all told, it accumulated data on 747 different votes in the US House.

Here is Congressman Turner’s score (each out of 100%) in each category, accumulated since he was sworn in as a US congressman in 2003.

Aid to Less Advantaged People, at Home & Abroad (17 subcategories) 4.98

Corporate Subsidies (14 subcategories) 1.67

Education, Humanities, & the Arts (3 subcategories) 3.92

Environment (15 subcategories) 8.21

Fair Taxation (6 subcategories) 2.34

Family Planning (2 subcategories) 6.25

Government Checks on Corporate Power (31 subcategories) 3.52

Health Care (15 subcategories) 2.94

Housing (2 subcategories) 10.71

Human Rights & Civil Liberties (10 subcategories) 1.79

Justice for All: Civil and Criminal (7 subcategories) 1.27

Labor Rights (8 subcategories) 7.92

Making Government Work for Everyone, Not Just the Rich or Powerful (16 subcategories) 5.82

War & Peace (18 subcategories) 2.44

There is a lot of data to study. For example, Turner got a progressive score of 2.94 in the Health Care category, but under that category are 15 subcategory. One of the subcategories is “Access to Affordable Prescription Drugs,” and in this subcategory, Turner made a score of 0.0%, meaning each of Turner’s votes in this category were opposite of the votes deemed “progressive” by Progressive Punch.org. Here are the votes that determined that subcategory score:

Roll Call 23. Requiring the federal government to negotiate with drug companies for the prices of drugs covered under Medicare (H.R. 4)/On passage Jan 12, 2007. Turner voted No

Roll Call 22. Requiring the federal government to negotiate with drug companies for the prices of drugs covered under Medicare (H.R. 4)/Motion to recommit with instructions to add language that ensures that beneficiaries will not be restricted in their access to prescription drugs and that the negotiations will not result in the price increase of prescription drugs for any group Jan 12, 2007. Turner voted Yes.

Roll Call 11. H. Res. 6 Adopting the rules of the House of Representative for the 110th Congress/On adopting Title 5 of the resolution Jan 05, 2007. Turner voted No

Roll Call 10. H. Res. 6 Adopting the rules of the House of Representative for the 110th Congress/Motion to commit with instructions Jan 05, 2007. Turner voted Yes

Roll Call 173. A vote on a Democratic motion to send back to its drafting committee HR 4281, — legislation allowing small business to band together as a means of lowering the cost of providing their employees with health insurance — with instructions that the bill must not preempt state regulations regarding coverage for breast cancer, pregnancy and childbirth, and well-child OB/GYN services. May 13, 2004. Turner voted No

Roll Call 172. Vote on passage of a Democratic substitute to the Republican-backed HR 4281, legislation designed to enable small businesses to join together to form “associations” that will leverage their collective buying power to get lower-cost health insurance for their employees May 13, 2004. Turner voted No

Roll Call 650. H R 1. Prescription Drug Benefit/Sixth and Final Vote to Instruct House Conferees to Drop Provisions in the Conference Report Which Would Allow Private Health Plans to Compete Directly With Medicare by 2010. Nov 20, 2003. Turner voted No

Roll Call 637. H R 1. Prescription Drug Benefit/Fifth of Six Votes to Instruct House Conferees to Drop Provisions in the Conference Report Which Would Allow Private Health Plans to Compete Directly With Medicare by 2010. Nov 19, 2003. Turner voted No

Roll Call 624. H R 2673. Fiscal 2004 Omnibus Appropriations/Vote to Instruct House Conferees to Include Provisions in the Omnibus Conference Report Which Would Allow the Importation of Less-Expensive Canadian Prescription Drugs Into the United States. Nov 18, 2003. Turner voted No

Roll Call 619. H R 1. Prescription Drug Benefit/Fourth of Six Votes to Instruct House Conferees to Drop Provisions in the Conference Report Which Would Allow Private Health Plans to Compete Directly With Medicare by 2010. Nov 07, 2003. Turner voted No

Roll Call 615. H.R.1. Prescription Drug Benefit/Third of Six Votes to Instruct House Conferees to Drop Provisions in the House Bill Which Would Allow Private Health Plans to Compete Directly With Medicare by 2010. Nov 06, 2003. Turner voted No

Roll Call 599. H.R.1. Prescription Drug Benefit/Second of Six Votes to Instruct House Conferees to Drop Provisions in the House Bill Which Would Allow Private Health Plans to Compete Directly With Medicare by 2010. Oct 30, 2003. Turner voted No

Roll Call 573. H.R.1. Prescription Drug Benefit/First of Six Votes to Instruct House Conferees to Drop Provisions in the House Bill Which Would Allow Private Health Plans to Compete Directly With Medicare by 2010. Oct 28, 2003. Turner voted No

Roll Call 420. H.R. 2799. Fiscal 2004 Commerce, Justice, State Appropriations/Vote to Prevent the Federal Government from Interfering With State Laws that have Decriminalized the Use of Medical Marijuana. Jul 23, 2003. Turner voted No

Roll Call 332. H.R. 1. Prescription Drug Benefit/Vote on Final Passage of a Bill to Provide Seniors With Drug Coverage Through the Private Sector Rather Than Through the Medicare Program. Jun 27, 2003. Turner voted Yes

Roll Call 331. H.R. 1. Prescription Drug Benefit/Vote to Recommit to Committee a Bill to Provide Seniors With Drug Coverage Through the Private Sector Rather Than Through the Medicare Program. Jun 27, 2003. Turner voted No

Roll Call 330. H.R. 1. Prescription Drug Benefit/Vote on Democratic Substitute Bill Which Would Provide Prescription Drug Coverage Though the Medicare Program (Rather Than the Private Sector) and Would Not Contain Any Gaps In Drug Coverage. Jun 27, 2003. Turner voted N0